Issue #220, November 15, 2017
Joseph is leading at last! He’s a national leader overseeing the process of collecting and storing grain during the seven years of abundance. In the evening he goes home to a wife and two sons! All seemed well. Joseph had settled for the “dream job” without accomplishing the dream. But as the years of feasting turned to famine and Joseph was in charge of selling grain, people from other nations began to arrive. And then, one day, his brothers were in the line! Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the one who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where do you come from?" he asked. "From the land of Canaan," they replied, "to buy food." Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected" (Genesis 42:6-9). In a moment, as he saw his brothers bowing down, Joseph saw his dream unfolding. His father, mother and one brother were not yet included. But it was clear to Joseph at this point that there were only a few more details to be resolved before his dream from 20 years before would be a reality. But this unfolding of the dream was another time for Joseph’s dream to be tested.
Unfolding dreams test focus.
Joseph could see some of the dream happening but not yet all. Suddenly he needed to decide where he would focus. For more than 7 years he had focused on leading a nation and perhaps had accepted that as God’s fulfillment of his dream. Could he now focus again on the dream that included his family or would he turn away from them and focus on his “dream job?” Servant leaders acknowledge that partial success is not a complete success. They learn to keep focused on the dream until it becomes a reality.
Unfolding dreams test faith.
Will Joseph be able to trust God for the fulfillment of the dream? Or would he take revenge and kill his brothers along with the dream? Would he take control of the dream now that he was a seasoned leader doing great things? Or would he continue to trust God to fulfill the dream? Would he step in and ‘help’ God by speeding up the process? Joseph had to remember that it was God who brought him to this level and it would still take God to accomplish the dream. Those who have succeeded in leadership are always tempted to have faith in their own ability to accomplish their dream. Servant leaders put their faith in the God who gives dreams, not in themselves.
Unfolding dreams test fears.
Did you ever wonder why Joseph didn’t go home to visit his family during the 7 years that he was free? Maybe he was trying to forget the pain of the past and the memories of how his brothers treated him. Maybe he was afraid that his pain would be released in uncontrolled anger. But God allowed the unfolding of the dream to help him confront the pain and face his fears. Servant leaders learn that as dreams begin to unfold, God often leads them to face their deepest fears. This may be fear of failure or fear of what others may think of them. It may be fear of success and not being sure if they can handle it.
Joseph took three days to wrestle with his unfolding dream. The plan he developed showed that he passed the test. He would keep his focus, strengthen his faith, and face his fears as he waited for the complete fulfillment of his dream.
For further reflection and discussion:
- When my dream begins to unfold, am I able to keep my eyes on the dream or have I focused elsewhere? Have I become content with seeing only a part of my dream come to pass?
- As I achieve success as a leader, am I able to keep my faith in God or do I trust my own ability to achieve my goals? In what ways am I tempted to ‘help’ God by speeding up the process?
- What are my greatest fears related to my dream? Is it fear of failure? Is it fear that I may not be able to handle success? How does God help me to face my fears?